The Presidency has dismissed reports that public servants will not be paid their December salary due to shortfall in budgetary allocations.
A circular purportedly issued by the Federal government had advised police officers and federal civil servants to spend their November salaries wisely bearing in mind that their December salaries may be delayed till January 2022.
The circular, said to have been issued by the office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, was dated November 25, 2021 and addressed to all staff, Heads of Departments/units and union leaders. It was titled: “Envisaged Delay in Payment of December 2021 Salary- a Cautionary Advice.”
It stated in part: “It is noteworthy that while it is important to issue this advice, staff are here by assured that the centre is doing everything within its capability to forestall unnecessary delays.
“The contents of this circular should be treated with seriousness it deserves” the circular said.
But the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, who spoke to State House correspondents on Thursday in Abuja, dismissed the circular, saying President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration “takes the issue of payment of salaries very seriously’’.
He said the Buhari administration attaches great importance to the welfare of workers, especially the payment of their wages.
“I have not been briefed about this issue but what I can tell you is that nobody takes the issue of payment of salaries more seriously than President Muhammadu Buhari.
“To give you an example, only two weeks ago or so, the National Economic Council announced that the President had approved this huge amount of money over N18 billion to each state of the federation to take care of outstanding pensions and salaries.
“So logically speaking, if the President will help states to pay; he has done that many times, from 2015, he saw it as a national crisis.
“He did this kind of support to states not less than three times before this one,” he stated.
He, therefore, advised workers, especially public servants, not to be upset with such circulars but remain calm, as their salaries would be paid.
Shehu added: “So, if he will help states to pay, why would President Buhari decline to pay salaries?
“For the president, salary is so important that he is looking beyond the Federal and he is holding the hands of the States to join him in doing so, please, people should not be unnecessarily upset.’’